Licnodamaeolus asetosus, Ermilov, Sergey G. & Hugo-Coetzee, Elizabeth A., 2012

Ermilov, Sergey G. & Hugo-Coetzee, Elizabeth A., 2012, Two new species from South Africa, with remarks on generic diagnosis of Licnodamaeolus Covarrubias, 1998 and taxonomic status of Nacunansella Fernandez & Cleva, 1998 (Acari: Oribatida: Licnodamaeidae), Zootaxa 3167, pp. 32-44 : 33-36

Licnodamaeolus asetosus sp. nov.

( Figs 1–17 )

Diagnosis. Body length 310–350 × 150–170; idosoma and legs covered with small round granules; interlamellar setae absent; sensilli with hook-form distally, pointed, smooth, consistently covered with cerotegument unilaterally in mediodistal part; five pairs setiform notogastral setae, distanced from each other; setae h 2 located lateral to lyrifissures ip; exobothridial setae absent; lyrifissures ih and ips poorly visible; adanal setae ad 1 in postanal position, ad 2 in paraanal position; legs monodactylous.

Description. Measurements. Body length 350 (holotype, female), 310–350 (mean 329; 14 paratypes: seven males and seven females); body width 170 (holotype), 150–170 (mean 160; 14 paratypes).

Integument. Body color yellowish-brown. Idiosoma and legs covered with round cerotegumental granules of light color (diameter up to 3 µm; Fig. 5 ). Body and leg setae often covered with vermicular cerotegument.

Prodorsum ( Figs 1, 3 , 6, 7 ). Rostrum rounded in dorsal view. Lateral parts with weakly sclerotized lines in dorsal view. Rostral (12–16) and lamellar (12–16) setae thin, smooth. Interlamellar setae, even their alveoli absent. Sensilli (45–49) hook-form distally, pointed, smooth. Sensilli consistently covered with cerotegument unilaterally in mediodistal part.

Notogaster ( Figs 1, 3 – 5 ). More or less oval in dorsal view and flattened in lateral view. Posterior margin rounded. Anterior margin weakly extending anteromedially, not reaching level of bothridia. Dorsal part with one pair poorly developed longitudinal ridges (r) and depression (d) between them ( Fig. 4 ). Ridges visible in caudal view. Circummarginal furrow (cmf) poorly developed, visible in dorso-lateral and dorso-caudal views. Dorso-lateral and postero-lateral parts of notogaster with thin, light marginal furrow (mf). Five pairs very short (8 – 12), thin and smooth notogastral setae ( Fig. 4 ). Alveoli of setae h 1 and p 1, also p 2 and p 3 separated from one another. Setae h 2 located lateral to lyrifissures ip. Lyrifissures ia, im and ip long and thin; ia located horizontally, im – diagonally. Small opisthonotal gland opening (gla) located posteriad of im.

Lateral part of body ( Fig. 3 ). Anterior part of notogaster extending over basal part of prodorsum. Exobothridial setae and their alveoli absent. Lyrifissures ih and ips short, poorly visible.

Anogenital region ( Figs 2 , 4, 8, 9 ). Two pairs of anal (an 1, an 2), two pairs of adanal (ad 1, ad 2), one pair of aggenital (ag) setae setiform, short (4–8) and smooth. Adanal setae ad 1 in postanal position, ad 2 in paraanal position. Six pairs of short and smooth genital setae inserted in longitudinal row on plates; g 1 (8–12) longer than g 2– g 6 (4–8). Lyrifissures iad not evident.

Epimeral region ( Figs 2 , 10 ). Epimeral setae setiform, short (8–12) smooth, located in light cuticular regions.

Gnathosoma ( Figs 11–13 ). Subcapitulum nearly as long as wide (69–73 × 69–73). Rutellum longer than gena. Hypostomal setae setiform, smooth; a (12–20) little longer than m (8–12) and h (6–8). Setae h inserted towards middle of mentum. Two pairs of adoral setae (or, 8–12) setiform, slightly barbed, curved medio-distally. Palps (65– 73) with setation 0–2–1–3–8(+1ω). Solenidion long, setiform, weakly curved, not fused with acm. Chelicerae (73– 82) chelate-dentate. Cheliceral setae long, setiform, barbed; cha (20–24) longer, than chb (12–16). Trägårdh’s organ poorly visible.

Legs ( Figs 14–17 ). Tarsi with one smooth claw. All femora and trochanters III and IV with oblong dorsal porose areas. Formulae of leg setation and solenidia: I (1–5–4–4–18) [1–2–2], II (1–4–4–4–15) [1–1–2], III (2– 2(3)– 3–4–15) [1–1–0], IV (1–2–3–4–12) [0–1–0]; homology of setae and solenidia indicated in Table 1. Setae setiform, smooth or with indistinct barbs. Famulus short, weakly thickened, blunt-ended. Solenidia ω1 and ω2 on tarsi I rod-like, ω1 strongly curved. Solenidia ω1 and ω2 on tarsi II rod-like, with weakly dilated distal part (visible under high magnification). Tibia I with strong dorso-distal projection bearing long, setiform solenidion φ1 and short, setiform φ2. Other solenidia short, setiform or weakly thickened.

Leg Trochanter Femur Genu Tibia Tarsus

I v' d, (l), bv'', v'' d, (l), v', σ (l), (v), φ1, φ2 (ft), (tc), (it), (p), (u), (a), s, (pv), (pl), e,

ω1, ω2

II v' d, l', bv'', v'' d, (l), v', σ d, l', (v), φ (ft), (tc), (it), (p), (u), (a), s, (pv), ω1, ω 2 III l', v' d, ev' (rarely also l') d, l', v', σ d, l', (v), φ (ft), (tc), (it), (p), (u), (a), s, (pv) IV v' d, ev' d, l', v' d, l', (v), φ ft'', (tc), (p), (u), (a), s, (pv)

Roman letters refer to normal setae (e to famulus), Greek letters to solenidia. Single prime (') marks setae on anterior and double prime (") setae on posterior side of the given leg segment. Parentheses refer to a pair of setae.

Material examined. Holotype and 14 paratypes (seven males and seven females): central South Africa, Erfenis Dam Nature Reserve, 28º 30'S, 26º 48'E, in clay soil of grassland vegetation, 28 August 2007, collected by E.A. Hugo-Coetzee.

Type deposition. The holotype and 10 paratypes are deposited in the National Museum, Bloemfontein, South Africa. Four paratypes are deposited in the collection of Zoological Institute of Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia.

Etymology. The specific name “ asetosus ” refers to the absence of interlamellar setae.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 3. Licnodamaeolus asetosus sp. nov., adult: 1 — dorsal view, legs partly shown; 2 — ventral view, gnathosoma and legs partly shown; 3 — lateral view, gnathosoma partly shown, epimeral region and legs not shown. Scale bar 100 μm.

FIGURES 4 – 10. Licnodamaeolus asetosus sp. nov., adult: 4 — caudal view, legs not shown; 5 — notogastral cerotegument; 6 — rostral and lamellar setae; 7 — sensillus; 8 — genital plate, right; 9 — anal plate, right; 10 — epimeral seta 4 c. Scale bars (4) 50 μm, (5 – 7, 10) 10 μm, (8, 9) 20 μm.

FIGURES 11 – 13. Licnodamaeolus asetosus sp. nov., adult: 11 — subcapitulum; 12 — palp; 13 — chelicera. Scale bar 20 μm.

FIGURES 14 – 17. Legs of Licnodamaeolus asetosus sp. nov., adult: 14 — leg I, without trochanter, right, antiaxial view; 15 — leg II, without trochanter, right, antiaxial view; 16 — leg III, right, antiaxial view; 17 — leg IV, right, antiaxial view. Scale bars 50 μm.